Chapter 4: REUNION
"I need to complete my project," he said dodging going for a picnic, He left Ville's front.
As he open the door leaving for the library, Ena crossed him and asked, "is this about Dad". "no", he barked, "it'd be more polite if you'd reduce your voice" "I'm sorry, I'm just being stressed out, I need to leave now", "to?" "the library, I have a project to submit on Thursday", "this is family, won't you just clear some air for family, we're not just going picnic were reuniting, can't project wait" Ena ended as she pushed her head backward and raised her eyebrow simultaneously.
"You're late", "needed... " to attend to something" they chorused, that's been your excuse since Friday, what's wrong. She elevated looked at him expecting a real answer. I'm fine he said, he hasn't been up for her sermons lately.
So have you completed the part of African colonization era he asked as they walked into the library?
Tori suspected something was definitely wrong, but the least she could do now is to believe what he says.
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Drew walked off from the lift that just brought him to bunker in the most secured FBI resource in Washington D.C.
"I got eyes on them Ryan," told Quart, the head of their task force.
"Find out where they..." before he could complete his statement Ryan had got what he needed "D.C's superior court.
"Both of you" Quart focused on Drew and Michelle, he looked more serious now than ever, secure the transport.
He took his phone picked the call and moved towards his office, he took his breath in so deeply that Ville on the other end knew the answer to the question she was about to ask, but she pushed away from the negativity and asked anyway "park in the evening? ". I'll try to make it if I don't... I'll surely make it up.
She had dropped her schedule for the day and was really trying to put the family back together, but this is the second time Drew was obviously not able to appear for the event.
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The library was a large one with three floors, one underground, one above, and one that was on ground level. Tori and Mac secured their seats on the underground floor, where African history books are best found.
It has been hours in the library different books sat on the table where Drew and Tori had sat, they were serious as any researcher would be.
Tori had continuously watched the clock for the past couple minutes, Drew didn't want to go home, he was enjoying every bit of his time with her, at least he doesn't get to feel the pain he feels at home about everything going on,this was the fourth time Tori turned her eyes to the round big wooden clock that seem to be the one keeping people on a stable mind by its continuous tick. By the time she'd turn her focus back to the table
Drew had started packing up "why" she questioned his action".
"We've had a long day we need to rest... do you mind if I crash at your place till evening. "No, not at all... it's been a while you've stopped by". "At the very least we could do more on the project before you leave". "No, no projects, maybe we should just talk". "about..." "you! what's going on with you". "We seem to have been much more interested in my story lately, which I find a little bit uncomfortable with" "sorry, I didn't mean to pry, I just thought your face now looks pale than ever" Tori apologized. "It's alright since we'll now be switching sides".
They both looked at each other and gave a dense short-lasting smile.
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Tori unlocked the door and both of them took their way into the duplex.
Mac collapsed on the settee then stood up, to take a walk through Tori's life with the pictures that were ever hanging on the wall, that was giving every important detail about Tori to anyone that cares to watch it.
In the first frame, she was just three. It was her first birthday party, she had a party hat on, and was smiling as wild as any happy child would do.
"You have gone over that a million and one times, don't you get bored with repetition".
"Yes I do, especially when it is a pack of picture frame stacked on the wall and aligned this way", he ran his hand pointing to the picture array. "you must have had a good wall view when you were little, you know I didn't get to have those".
Mac followed Tori to the kitchen, "you'd want..." "a cup of coffee...I suppose you don't want me crashing here"
"By the way, where's Esther", "Yh...she had to go to the market", "really, that's quite unusual, extend my hand of gesture", "is there something you're not telling me" "no", "yes" he returned, he moved closer to her, "we've been friends past all these secrets, if you need to talk to someone, I'm right here", "no, thanks I'm fine", "Which template did you use for your project", "I obviously used more than a template; the introductory template I used the PT120 from a collection, for the body..."
"It'd be more understanding if I see the template itself, I need to get a cool template for mine" "alright give me one minute".
She climbed the stair to the room as she looked at her wristwatch, that ticked on 5:00, she needed to get to the hospital before 6:00 when her dad has to go in for surgery, she bothered on how to tell Mac. She immediately cleared her expression, took the template collection, and finding her way back to the sitting room, she took the stairway down.
Mac hand that rested on the kitchen table holding the cup of tea he had in his hand fluttered, he raised his head in search for the cause, only to see Tori's phone blinking, and started to blare its call notification.
It was Esther, Tori got in, picked the phone up and fell on the fridge for support, she withdraws her hands from her ears dropping the phone carelessly on the floor.
Mac rose up immediately when he noticed her action, grabbed her and spoke into her ears, what happened, Esther on the other end seems to be continuously trying to get Tori back online, Mac picked up the phone, and replied, "I'll call the 911 now".
His fingers operated the phone without losing time, he got himself connected to the emergency service. "What's your emergency", a male voice from the phone end asked.
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The race begun as Ena was dropped off the van into the way that leads to the emergency room. She was admitted immediately, although was slowly responding to treatment, Esther managed to get to the hospital as soon as she could, how could she manage two loss in one day.
It is absolutely terrific, she felt. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, having received info about Tori's ward, only to get there to see Mac, on the bench outside of the ward, his head tilted to the ground. She increased her pace and took an empty space, besides Mac.
"What are the doctors saying?", Mac who was lost in thought just realized Esther was beside him.
"Yeah, they're saying she's responding to treatment slowly, but it's just a random treatment, they're diagnosing her...".
"I'm sorry about Matthew, didn't know he was sick" Mac sympathized, "It's been seven months, he was preparing for his heart pacemaker transplant before he..." She burst into uncontrollable tears. Mac grabbed her in his arms, and cried alongside her, he'd miss a lot of Matthew, at the very least, he is the one he took as his father.
The doctor arrived, with his pad resting on his hands, we've run series of test, Victoria is suffering from Brugada syndrome, she's more stable now, so you can go ahead to see her.
Esther ran into the ward and hugged her legs tightly that she would on a normal, now that she's on a sick bed, "Dad's dead" Tori sobbed, "yeah, and please don't let me lose you, you're all I've got".
"You need to take your time, rest a lot, you need it". Mac moved closer as he advised her, "thanks a lot, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you", "it's alright, I'm glad you're fine, I'll have to complete the project, myself, I've felt it would all come down to me doing it alone, just didn't know it'd be this way", they both smiled halfway.
"I'm sad I need to leave, but I'll come as early as I can tomorrow before going to school", he kissed her forehead, get well soon he said. She held his hand before he left and said, "bond with Drew while you still can".
The words kept hunting Mac down in his mind, he could not discard this advice once more, not now that she just lost her father, it would not be fair, Mac opened the door, he wasn't expecting anybody to complain about the time. He thought they'll all be at the park. But the voice that welcomed him was not close to quiet.
"It's obvious you have planned to come in late" Ville shouted even though she was not seated far from the door, "where have you been?" she asked, "at the hospital", he responded, her eyes widened, "Matthew's dead, Tori's sick, water filled his eye and pushed on themselves as a wild current would in an ocean, "I need to bath", his voice cracked.
Almost immediately he got into his room. Drew knocked, Ena answered the door, only when she opened the door and let him in did bullet began flying over them.
Weekly Power Status
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